MTFCA Forum

I am in the process of replacing the top on our 1921 touring with a top from Classtique. I have removed the previous top, which may be a Cartouche top installed when the car was restored probably in the 1970s. The rear top bow was broken, so my son is making me new constant section pieces for all four top bows. This will be easy, because the original restorer replaced the straight portions and left the original bent wood in the corners.

My concern is that the original restorer may have made the top bows too wide. Murry's book where the dimension "B" is 26" or 52" total. Is that dimension to the point shown in the first picture (circled in red) or is it measured further up on the bow from that point? Murry's drawing is not real clear about that. My top bows are measuring 53" or more between the location that I have marked with the red B on the first picture.

What I would really appreciate is if anyone with a 1917-1922 two man touring top car with original wood in their top bows would measure the distance between the ends of the metal portion of the metal top bows for each of the four bows, as indicated by the red dimension in re in the last picture. You can easily feel the end of the metal portion through the fabric or vinyl wrap on each bow.

I would greatly appreciate anyone's help with getting these dimensions. I don't want to get the bow width wrong and then fight issues with getting the top to fit properly.

Thanks,

Neal

Neither the body on my 1919 touring nor the top bows on my car are original. They both were pieced together, and I did all the wood work myself, so the measurements may be slightly off. With that disclaimer out of the way:

My car measures about 52-1/2" to the insides of the front bow.
The "red line" measurement is about 36-3/8" on my front bow.

I used the same Fahnestock drawing nearly 40 years ago.

: ^ )